When to Take (Or Ignore) Resume Advice From Friends

When to Take (Or Ignore) Resume Advice From FriendsWhen to Take (Or Ignore) Resume Advice From FriendsEverybodys a critic, but not all criticism is useful in your job search. How do you filter out the noise to hear qualified advice?Ive shown my resume to three people, and the feedback welches terrible said my client Marlene.She had called me in a total panic, asking for yet another opinion about her resume. (It actually looked pretty good, so she had no reason to panic.) Her resume had been professionally written a few years earlier, so all it needed was an update and some editing. But those few negative - and uninformed - comments had driven her just a little bit crazy.But it brought up a common question Whose critique do you act on?Should you change your resume based on a recruiters comments? Should you take advice based on a persons status as an industry leader? Are friends and former colleagues good sources for resume critiques?When you should listen to anyone Always take other s advice when its about obvious errors missing words, usage errors and typos.Be very grateful for this type of feedback - its always useful. When you write your own resume, you cannot see your own errors because youre too close to the material. Its your blind spot. But an outside reviewer can easily spot typos missing or duplicate words incorrect usage (their versus theyre) and other obvious errors.When you should listen to your gut People often suggest changes based on rules of thumb that may or may not apply to your particular circumstances. You might relate to unterstellung situations that my clients encounteredAn MBA career advisor told one of my clients that the correct font size for a resume was 11 points. Wrong The appropriate size is highly subjective and depends entirely on the particular font.A successful sales manager left her 12-year career in 2006 to raise her kids. Now its 2009, so her chronology shows a three-year gap and her resume leads off with a short explanation of her family leave. Several former colleagues emphatically told her to delete any reference to family leave on her resume. But my client thinks its just common sense to proactively pre-empt any questions about the gap.Sometimes professional recruiters make suggestions based on their personal idiosyncrasies and biases, like in the examples belowA recruiter told one of my clients to remove all dates from her college degrees because you never want to reveal your age on a resume. Wrong That particular rule might or might not apply, depending on your age and many other factors.An in-house recruiter for a large company actually told one of my resume clients that his most recent experience - running a successful small business for 13 years - makes me suspect it was a failure, otherwise youd have stayed with it. Wrong again Thats just one recruiters biased opinion, but that comment drove my client into temporary paranoia.On her resume, a mortgage executive mentioned that her belastung e mployer went out of business in 2009. She wants to pre-empt an obvious question, namely, Why did you leave your last job? Were you fired? Saying the company went out of business removes any stigma of getting fired - but a recruiter insist ed on deleting that item because it sounds like a downer.Even bona fide resume experts who agree on best practices dont always see the same resume the same way.Thats why great resume writing blends craft, rules, style - and a lot of personal opinion So if you find yourself perplexed by a gray area, you must ultimately decide for yourself. Tune out the critics, and just follow your own gut instincts.Better versus different In my experience, 80 percent of resume suggestions arent necessarily wrong - but they dont improve your resume, either. If you show a perfect resume to 48 professional people and ask for feedback, youll probably hear 24 different suggestions about how to make the resume better.During the summer of 2008, I actually conducted th is experiment at one of the worlds leading outplacement firms. I showed a perfect, professionally written resume to 48 people - including a handful of recruiters - and asked for feedback. Half the people suggested changes, but no two comments were the same.Dont automatically change your resume every time you hear a suggestion - even if its made by a credible source. Doing that is like a dog chasing its tail. On the other hand, if you hear the same negative comment from three or more people, its probably not them - its youAre you the type of person who can coldly evaluate resume feedback without being overwhelmed by fear, panic or other emotions? If not, you can always consider working with a professional resume writing services. In the end, the best advice Ive heard on this topic is from a 1972 song by Rick Nelson, which tells about his being booed off the stage at Madison Square Garden. The song ends, you cant please everyone, so youve got to please yourself.

Patient Health Education Director - Hospital Job Description

Patient Health Education Director - Hospital Job DescriptionPatient Health Education Director - Hospital Job DescriptionPatient Health Education Director Hospital Job DescriptionThis patient health education director-hospital sample job description can assist in your creating a job application that will attract job candidates who are qualified for the job. Feel free to revise this job description to meet your specific job duties and job requirements.Patient Health Education Director Hospital Job ResponsibilitiesImproves patient health outcomes by promoting healthy behaviors supporting the recovery process enabling the patient/family/significant other(s) to be involved in care and care decisions.Patient Health Education Director Hospital Job DutiesDevelops, implements, and evaluates patient education programs by conducting needs assessments consulting with physicians, evaluating departmental and administrative requests establishing rapport with potential and actual clients and other persons in a position to understand patient education requirements.Identifies educational needs of patient/family/significant other(s) by collaborating with attending physicians, department heads, and staff.Facilitates learning by gaining understanding of the learners abilities to learn, cultural and religious practices, emotional barriers, desire and motivation to learn, physical and/or cognitive limitations, language barriers, and readiness to learn.Encourages participation in decision-making about health care options by facilitating the patients and patient/family and/or significant other(s) understanding of patients health position.Maximizes care skills by increasing the patient/family/significant other(s) ability to cope with patients health status/prognosis/outcome.Enhances the patient/family/significant other(s) role by promoting healthy lifestyles.Selects, adapts, and individualizes patient education information for the patient/family by evaluating available brochures, print ed materials, video tapes, and external resources in light of the age, culture, religious practices, and language of the patient/family/significant other(s).Documents patient care services by completing charting in patient and department records.Improves quality results by studying, evaluating, and re-designing processes implementing changes.Identifies future patient education requirements by maintaining rapport with potential and actual clients and other persons in a position to understand emerging patient education requirements identifying community and other resources.Serves and protects the hospital community by adhering to professional standards, hospital policies and procedures, federal, state, and local requirements, and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) standards.Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities reading professional publications maintaining personal networks participating in professional organizations.Enh ances hospital reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.Patient Health Education Director Hospital Skills and QualificationsFDA Health Regulations, Patient Services, Creating a Safe, Effective Environment, Health Promotion and Maintenance, Informing Others, Verbal Communication, Teaching, Planning, Management Proficiency, Job Knowledge, Quality ManagementEmployers Post a job in minutes to reach candidates everywhere. Job Seekers Search Patient Health Education Director Hospital Jobs and apply on now. Read more abouthow to hireHow to Interview to Uncover a Candidates Ethical StandardsVideo New Employee OrientationCreating and Posting a Job in Monster

Your Message or Theirs Take Control of Your Employer Brand

Your Message or Theirs Take Control of Your Employer BrandYour Message or Theirs Take Control of Your Employer BrandAs we recently discussed in another Simply Hired Blog, the process of recruiting new candidates for high level, in-demand positions often have much in common with the traditional marketing industry. Selling a job role to a qualified candidate is akin to trying to convince a consumer that your product is the best among the wide variety available on racks and shelves.With that in mind, recruiters and hiring professionals dedicate a good deal of time to optimizing job descriptions, but often overlook the more critical aspects of attracting talent the employer brand. Before they even step into the interview room, candidates will often get on mainboard or click delete, based on both the company and recruiting brand. This means employers would be well served to devote time and resources to developing both elements.But First, DefinitionsBefore we delve into the whys and hows, its time to bust out the recruiting dictionary for a few definitions. By company brand, we mean the outward facing reputation that your company develops when it comes to your core business. If your customer service department has a reputation for being aloof or unresponsive, that could very well affect how a candidate looks at interviewing for a position. Similarly, if your products are thought of as poor quality, candidates may think twice before considering an interview.The recruiting brand is equally, if not more, important. This is the reputation that your company has for treating its employees well. Hiring practices, internal review and promotion procedures, benefits, compensation and more are all critical elements reviewed by potential candidates prior to accepting a new position. According to Simply Hired research, candidates are 7 times more likely to view job posts from companies branded as good places to work. How to Improve and Establish Your BrandA companys brand drives its success in both production and talent acquisition. A brand reputation can be established or destroyed in real time with poor online reviews, word of mouth sharing of experiences, or in that infamous viral email. Want to ensure your brand is telling the right message to candidates or looking for ways to potentially improve your message? Read below for four helpful tips to make it happen. Conduct a Quality Check What is the buzz about your company?First things first. Before you begin revamping or establishing a brand in order to help attract recruits, its important to find out whats currently being said about your company out in the real world. An HR representative or your hiring manager or recruitment department should spend some time perusing the most frequent haunts of job seekers and current employees.LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and industry-focused hiring boards are all excellent sources or information to find out what is being said about your name. Pay careful attention to career boards that allow for anonymous posting on companies as this is often the place where your workforce will feel free to speak openly without fear of comments being attributed to a particular name. While youre at it, see what customers are saying about the products or services supplied by your company. As we previously discussed, company and recruiting brands make up a one-two punch when it comes to attracting or detracting potential candidates. If you find a lack of information available for your company this could signal a potential opportunity for adding to your story in a thoughtful, creative manner.Need more proof that reputation matters? How about a few case studies to demonstrate the conceptBrian, an accomplished professional in his late-thirties with nine years of progressive experience in his field, pursued a company on his target list. Brian said, The application process was lengthy and cumbersome. Then, after a recruiter asked me to provide times I would be availabl e for an interview, I had to follow up three times over a two week period before she responded to confirm an interview slot. The interview was then rescheduled twice. The recruiter was nice but the process seemed flaky.And how about that stat that job seekers are 7 times more likely to view jobs from companies branded as good places to work than from companies with negative brand reputations?Terry, an educator looking to return to the workforce, told us, I was nervous about presenting myself to an organization again after several years of staying at home. The application required me to remember past employer addresses and experiences from many years ago, and I was kicked out of the system twice. I contacted the company and was told they could not find my application. I thought they might have offered to troubleshoot the issue with me.In contrast, Brenda applied to her dream company and said, I was so excited to receive a response within two days They were organized and assertive abo ut my application. I felt like they really wanted me and appreciated my experience Know Your CandidatesJust as you would know the ins and outs of your target sales or client demographic, so should you know your candidates and their individual backgrounds. Is your ideal candidate entry level or experienced? What about education level? Are they media savvy or unlikely to have social media accounts?In addition to demographic information, details on compensation, benefits and career progression can also change from field to field and across title levels. Each of the above pieces of information can provide valuable insights into how to locate, approach, and pitch to top quality talent, especially important in todays heated market. Create a Plan Once youve done your research on both your brand and potential talent base, its time to develop a marketing strategy that helps match your company with the talent needed to fill the role. In addition to casting a wide net, you should also use the data to help flush out the details of your application and interview phases. The recruiting process is typically the one and only chance both job-seekers and prospective employers will have to get to know each other, prior to any extension of an offer. Take advantage of the information to help maximize the benefit and increase efficiency across all stages.Need some help kickstarting a plan of action into motion. Consider the following general points when it comes to marketing yourself to attract quality candidatesMaintain a career site that is mobile optimized and user-friendlyUpdate your application process so that is concise and not overly intrusiveProvide communication and acknowledgment of receipt of applicationsConsider implementing an automated and/or humanized feedback process following interviewsEnsure your compensation and salary negotiations respect talent and meet or exceed industry standardsProvide flexible work schedulesReinforce positive company cultureProvide competit ive benefits and career development opportunities Broadcast Your BrandOur last tip for taking control of your employer brand takes a page straight out of some of the best marketing campaigns ever designed. If youve already established a solid and renowned reputation for being a five-star employer, be sure to advertise that fact. If your company has received awards for best of in categories, those accolades should be prominently displayed on your main website or on your primary recruitment page. In addition, consider including a brief resume of your own on all external job postings to ensure candidates know the benefits of interviewing with and working for a company such as yours. Need more inspiration? UPS showcases a company blog as well as an employee blog. Similarly, The Container Store has an employee blog entitled What We Stand For. If you have a great reputation with current and former employees, let them speak for themselves and be the best brand ambassadors there are.Closing TipsA few brief parting points of guidance to help ensure excellence in your employer brand. Remember that even if you choose not to go with a specific candidate, they are still potential future candidates, customers or partners. Keep the lines of communication open and professional to maximize future possibilities. In addition, having a quality employment process will help build your employer brand and keep future employees excited to join.Want even more advice when it comes to navigating the recruiting waters? Stay tuned for future blogs in our series on best practices that will help you hire, train, and retain your next star employee.

7 High-Paying Jobs With Salaries That Increase Every Year

7 High-Paying Jobs With Salaries That Increase Every Year7 High-Paying Jobs With Salaries That Increase Every Year Does being a graphic designer sound creatively fulfilling to you? Do you dream about becoming a teacher?Although your ideal job might play into what youre passionate about, thats not the only thing you should consider when it comes to your career. If you ever want to pay off your student loans or buy a house , youve got to think about the salary attached to your job.You should also consider the following numbers Glassdoor Economic Research analyzed in a recent study of 60 jobs median base pay and year-over-year pay growth (side note they didnt look good for graphic design or teaching, unfortunately).If youre not koranvers about your next career move , the following list of jobs with high pay and steadily increasing salaries can help you decide.The following chart lists the results of the Glassdoor study. You can easily see which jobs pay well and have gr owing salaries.By cross-referencing the list below with data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), you can see which jobs are projected to have an increased number of openings over the next seven years.Although you can debate the difference between the terms software engineer and developer, I grouped them together for this post. Essentially, as a software engineer , youll create and develop software. This career has a variety of entry paths self-education, a computer science degree, or a coding boot camp.Year-over-year pay growth 3.7 percentJob growth (2014-2024) 17 percentWith an aging U.S. population on the rise, nurses and caretakers are more important than ever. Although many nurses eventually obtain their bachelors degree (BSN), you only need an associates degree to become a registered nurse (RN).Year-over-year pay growth 4 percentJob growth (2014-2024) 16 percentThere are more than one million licensed lawyers in the U.S., according to the American Bar Association. And if youre in search of a big paycheck, you might want to join them.Of course, youll have to go to a three-year law program to become a lawyer so before committing, check out our list of the most affordable law schools .Median annual pay $98,594 per yearYear-over-year pay growth 3.6 percentFor the number-crunchers among us, accountingcan be a solid career choice.Yet, to become an accountant , youll need a bachelors degree in accounting. Many budding accountants also go on to earn the title of Certified Public Accountant (CPA).Year-over-year pay growth 3.7 percentJob growth (2014-2024) 11 percentWhile the final three jobs didnt make it into the high growth quadrant, they already have a high median salary. Although the pays not growing significantly, the field is which means more opportunities are available for job placements for you.Fascinated by everything you read on the Student Loan Hero blog ? Then perhaps you should pursue a career in the financial industry.Financial analysts , w ho need a bachelors degree, offer investment advice to both individuals and businesses.Year-over-year pay growth 1.8 percentJob growth (2014-2024) 12 percentPhysical therapy is a booming field within the healthcare industry. In fact,the American Physical Therapy Association estimates there could be a shortage of up to 26,560 PTs by 2025, unless attrition rates are very low (in which case there will be a surplus).Physical therapists help rehabilitate people who are injured or sick. Though its a rewarding career, keep in mind youll need to attend school for three years after receiving your bachelors.Year-over-year pay growth 1.8 percentJob growth (2014-2024) 34 percentAlthough you wont land a managerial position when youre starting out, if this data trend continues, working towards a position as a human resources manager will probably pay off.Just make sure youre a people person. In this role, youd oversee everything to do with a companys employees.Year-over-year pay growth 1.4 percen tRemember, before choosing a career (or switching to a new one), you should take into account your interests and working style, as well as the pay and growth you can expect.By pursuing a career with a high earning potential, you wont only be able to eat all the avocado toast you want youll also be able to tackle other financial challenges like student loan debt, mortgage payments, and retirement.This article was originally published on Student Loan Hero .

The Debate Over Resume Verbs

The Debate Over Resume Verbs The Chronicles of Resume Verbs Begin with the folks in your industry you know in real life, including your professors, mentors, and peers in your industry. You might have more than 1 product or service which fits the requirements of unique segments. Many industries have professional organizations where it is possible to take part in discussions that are associated with your area. My job is extremely near my property. There are lots of magazine, audio tapes and tools to assist you, and with the web, you dont even have to pay a visit to stadt der liebe Also, if you would like to land work in an entertainment business, make certain to check entertainment resume writing tips. You can begin your own project, like a site, or you could aid a charity or join an organization. A great illustration is led meetings. Resume Verbs - the Story Utilize your resume to demonstrate the employer what sets you aside from the remainder of the pack, not stating that youve got the bare minimum for employment in any position. Focused Content If you dont understand what you would like to do dont anticipate a prospective employer to call. Then permit the employer decide. Let your prospective employer know about doing it. Its possible to also list in parenthesis your rank beside the work title. Therefore, it might be useful to opt for a work title that is comparable to what you did. Pick one or two from the above mentioned list and you will be fine. You wish to incorporate another page only if youre able to fill that entire page. Top Choices of Resume Verbs Resume Keywords are centered through your base abilities. Information can be in various structures. Employing industry jargon in your resume will demonstrate that you understand what youre speaking about. Your resume ought to be focused on one particular functional function. The verb is the principal action that happens. Again, the most crucial issue is quantifying your success. The Meaning of Resume Verbs Dont neglect to write out a work description and acquired skills for each position to demonstrate how your prior experience will translate at the job which youre going to land. Your experience in the military has supplied you with valuable transferable skills employers are interested in. Think about the industry youre interested in. Everyone can say which he or she excelled at their final job. As stated above, graduates do not typically have a great deal of job experience. A hundred other applicants like you do the exact same. If youre taking a look at creative jobs, you may want to think about the verb designed. In a CV, by way of example, if youre asking for work in education, you may want to set your teaching experience near the top of your CV. Verbs Are Unique Verbs have several meanings depending on the context of the sentence. Be certain to be thoughtful once you use action verbs. Its fine to leave in a couple of the previous verbs. The mo st suitable action verbs also eliminate the demand for adverbs, and sometimes, adjectives. There is an immense scope of verbs which can be used. Nothing dilutes the effect of action verbs than being surrounded by a number of other action verbs A different, only a bit poorer choice is to utilize your word processing applicationss thesaurus alternative to track down words with comparable definitions. Words generally related to the job that you wish to do should be in your resume. If you dont are in possession of an excellent reason to broaden your variety, the below success verbs can cover most bullets you may consider. Nouns have a clear voreingestellt meaning, you dont have to decipher it. In the event the Wordle result displays words you hadnt meant to emphasize, then it is a sign you should revise your paper to make certain readers will concentrate on the perfect details. Power words are used for a number of explanations. Another case of a weak word choice may be oversaw.

Job Hoppers - To Hire or Not to Hire - Spark Hire

Job Hoppers - To Hire or Not to Hire - Spark HireRemember the days when it was normal for someone to work for the same company for 10 or mora years? Those days seem to be a fad of the past. Now, it can quite often be difficult to find someone who has held a job for longer than 1 or 2 years.In the past, we would pass over the job hoppers due to risk and the fact that we were able to find other candidates with the skills and solid work history we desired. Things have changed and many hiring managers are wondering if they should be more open to hiring job hoppers in todays talent shortage.Deciding to hire a job hopper is something you must do based on the individual candidate and your instincts. However, when interviewing a job hopper, there are several things that you must consider.What is the job?Believe it or leid, many of todays job hoppers are changing jobs frequently because they simply become bored. These job hoppers quite often produce excellent results and have outstanding empl oyee reviews, but they just grow tired of doing the same job day after day, feeling a lack of challenge and meaning to their work.When considering a job hopper for your position, ask yourself some questions about the position you need to fill.Is it a position that will allow the employee to wear many different hats, continuously learning new tasks?Will the employee have a work day of variety by doing different jobs throughout the day? Is the work challenging?If your job hopper is changing jobs simply due to boredom and lack of challenge, these are all serious items to consider.R.O.I.Take a look at your job hoppers pattern. How often is the job hopper changing jobs every 6 months, every year, every 2 years?If you are thinking about hiring a job hopper, you must prepare for the worst, while expecting the best. Obviously, you would not hire a new employee if you had bad expectations, but if the employee has a history of leaving jobs frequently, it is better for you to be prepared for this and understand that it may happen to you.Think about your R.O.I. or return on investment.How long will it take you to train the new employee and what resources will you be pulling together in order to do so?How long will that employee need to stay with your company in order to justify the training and resources provided upon hire?Why?The most important question you can ask a job hopper is why? Find out why the job hopper left each job.Did they leave for more money, better benefits, boredom, lack of challenge, relocating? Find out as much as you can from the job hopper, then follow up with references in order to confirm.The most important thing you are trying to do here is to ensure that there are no underlying issues with the job hoppers work performance.Have you hired job hoppers before? What has your experience been? Please share in the comments below. bild monkeybusinessimages/BigStock.com

This is why women still earn a lot less than men

This is why women still earn a lot less than menThis is why women still earn a lot less than menA decade ago, on Jan. 29, 2009, newly inaugurated President Barack Obama signed his first bill into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.It was the latest legislative effort to close the persistently stubborn eu-agrarpolitik between how much women and men earn. At the time, women made just 77 cents of every dollar men earned a level that hadnt improved all that much since the 1990s, according to Census data.While existing laws already prohibited gender-based wage discrimination, the Ledbetter Act gave workers more time to sue employers over the issue. And the hope was that it would make a big difference.So did it?My research explores the legal hurdles that have prevented women from achieving pay equity with men. Now, 10 years after the act was passed, more work still needs to be done.Ledbetters complaintThe Ledbetter Act overturned a Supreme Court case that ruled against Lilly Led better, who worked as an area manager at Goodyear Tire and Rubber for more than 19 years. Over time, her pay slipped until she was earning 15 percent to 40 percent less than her male counterparts.When an anonymous bedrngnise tipped her off about the extent of the disparity, Ledbetter filed a pay discrimination complaint under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a statute prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin and religion. A jury found in her favor and awarded more than US$3.5 million in damages.The case was appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, which in 2007 ruled 5-4 that employees must file a complaint within 180 days after their employer makes a pay decision. The fact that the discrimination was embedded in each paycheck and that Ledbetter didnt know of the disparity for many years did not matter. Time had run out on her claim.In a vehement dissent read from the bench, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg noted that the ruling denied workplace realities. She pointed out that since employees often lack information about pay disparities, which can accumulate slowly over time, they shouldnt be given such a narrow window in which to file a complaint.Ultimately, the 111th Congress and President Obama agreed with Justice Ginsburg and nullified the decision. The Ledbetter Act makes clear that the statute of limitations for filing a wage discrimination claim resets with each discriminatory paycheck.A disappointing impactThe laws impact, however, has been disappointing.The rate of new wage discrimination cases hasnt budged, primarily because employees still lack information about their co-workers pay. Salary discussions are taboo in most workplaces, and some employers, like Ledbetters, forbid it.Put simply, a woman cant file a complaint if she doesnt know shes being shortchanged.Title VII wage claims are hard to prove for other reasons too. Title VII generally requires proof that employers acted with discriminator y intent. However, much discrimination in todays workplace is not intentional but fueled by unconscious gender stereotypes.For instance, studies show that workers receive better performance evaluations when they conform to gender stereotypes, such as dominance for men and passivity for women. In one study, participants were asked to award merit-based bonuses to fictional employees with identical personnel files. Men got higher bonuses than women.The bottom line Women today earn about 80 cents for every dollar men make earn, up just a few cents since 2009.And for women of color, the gap is even starker. Latinas earn 52 cents to the dollar of white men, while African-American women earn just 61 cents. Within racial groups, a pay gap between men and women persists, although it is narrower.Narrow interpretationsOf course, employees who believe they are being discriminated against based on gender can also turn to the Equal Pay Act. This act, signed into law in 1963 when women earned only 60 cents for every dollar men earned, does not require a showing of employer intent to discriminate.The act was the first to prohibit employers from paying men more than women who perform equal work.The pay gap has since narrowed by about 20 cents, but not because of anti-discrimination laws. The main drivers have been womens increased educational attainment and entry into the workforce.The Equal Pay Act hasnt been effective because courts read the law narrowly. They generally require that women plaintiffs identify a man with an identical job and resume for comparison. Given that men and women are tracked into different occupations, this can often be impossible.Moreover, both Title VII and the Equal Pay Act allow employers to defend pay differentials on the basis of any factor other than sex. For example, courts have permitted a limitless array of employer excuses for paying women less that are themselves rooted in gender bias, such as womens weaker salary bargaining skill, lesser management potential or lower prior salary history.These statutory interpretations may sound technical, but they matter. They help explain why the gap appears stuck at 80 cents and why some estimate itll be at least until 2059 until pay equity in the United States is reached.Why it persistsAnother reason the gap is so stubborn is that men and women are steered into different occupations, and male-dominated occupations pay more for comparable work.Even within a traditionally male field such as computer programming, women are paid less. And, as women move into a field, the entire occupations wages sink.Importantly, economists have found that discrimination feeds as much as 38 percent of the gender gap.Skeptics of the gender gap argue that it results from womens choices to work fewer hours and stay home to raise children.Its true, women bear a larger responsibility for child rearing and thus may cut back their hours or take time off from the workplace especially because the United Sta tes is the only developed country without paid maternity leave and child care is expensive.But while mothers face a motherhood penalty in opportunities and pay, fathers reap a fatherhood bonus.And so-called choices cannot explain why female recent college graduates are paid 82 percent of their male counterparts or why the gap widens at the top. Professional women with advanced degrees who work full-time face a gender gap of 74 percent.The American Association of University Women meets with John F. Kennedy as he signs the Equal Pay Act into law.Abbie Rowe/JFK Presidential Library and Museum, CC BYClosing the gender gapClosing the gender pay gap is not rocket science even though recently graduated female rocket scientists earn 89 cents on the dollar to their male peers.Steps that would help include prohibiting employers from using salary history in setting wages, banning employer retaliation against employees who share wage information, providing greater transparency in pay, and revi sing Title VII and the Equal Pay Act to better address workplace realities.The proposed Paycheck Fairness Act introduced repeatedly in Congress since 1997 but never passed would codify many of these remedies at the federal level. And the Trump administration suspended an Obama-era requirement that employers report extensive pay data.While federal efforts stall, several states, including California, Oregon, Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey, have passed their own laws to close the gap.The economic gains from closing the gender pay gap are huge. Doing so would add about $513 billion to the economy because of the extra income generated, reduce poverty and do a lot to support American families since mothers are the sole or primary breadwinners in about half of them.Passing the Lilly Ledbetter Act was a start, and now we owe it to American workers to enact laws that close the gap once and for all.Michele Gilman, Venable Professor of Law, University of BaltimoreThis article origina lly appeared onThe Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Combat Subtle Age Discrimination

Combat Subtle Age DiscriminationCombat Subtle Age DiscriminationYou can maintain relevance at any age no matter how subtly age discrimination permeates your workplace. Unfortunately, age discrimination, often a matter of unconscious bias, is prevalent in most workplaces. Moreover, those who are unemployed are at an even greater disadvantage. The person interviewing you is younger than your daughterand just as smart. And, they are concerned that you are older than all of your qualifikation coworkers, even if there is nothing to indicate their thoughts. Your interviewer may not know that their thoughts are discriminatory, but subtle age discrimination may be coloring their perceptions of your ability to fit within the companys work culture. Preventing Age Discrimination Employers can take steps to guard against age discrimination, but much of the onus belongs to the individual. After all, you have the most to lose. However, as in most factors related to employment, you have everyth ing to gain when you take action. If you work and youre over age 40, age discrimination is a real possibility. You cant change the attitudes and beliefs of other coworkers who may be unaware of what they exhibit or feel, but you can combat subtle discrimination by the actions you take in your workplace. How to Maintain Relevancy in the Workplace To stay relevant and combat age discrimination, do the followingStay current on the latest technology, industry-specific information, and other items necessary to stay relevant in the workplaceMaintain a healthy, professional appearance through proper grooming and dressing in stylish clothingThink outside of the box to introduce new ideas and ways to improve processes to increase workplace efficiencyUtilize strong communication and interpersonal skillsMaintain a healthy lifestyle by getting plenty of rest, managing stress, eating healthy foods, and getting plenty of exercise Maintain a Youthful Appearance Dana Anspach, a multi-credentialed r etirement planning expert, suggests that a youthful appearance can add years to your career and thousands of dollars to your income. Wear modern clothes and a stylish current hairstyle. When hiring for multiple positions, the front desk human resources (HR) administrative assistant or receptionist always flags the HR staff about their first impressions of the candidates who arrive for interviews. On a memorable occasion, whispering to an HR staff person one admin said, Gosh, this ones really old. When the HR interviewer saw the candidate, he caught her meaning right away and it had nothing to do with age. The Candidate Looked Dated The better word welches dated. Everything about the candidate was dated long hair cut straight across halfway down her back scuffed accessories skirted, pinstriped suit with a polyester bow tied around the neck that screamed the 1980s and a sad, slouched posture that made her look and seem forgettable. Properly Accessorize You should look neat and profess ional by accessorizing with attractive shoes, a handbag, a portfolio, and jewelry. Do not wear scuffed, torn, broken, or outdated accessories. Observe what the younger women are carrying and accessorize accordingly. At an HR conference, an older HR colleague carried her new handbag. At least three younger HR people approached her during the meetings to say, Oh, you have a Brighton. They thought it was pretty cool. The HR colleague didnt know it was cool. She just liked the bag. But, the Brighton bag made her cool by association- and approachable. Stay Current on the Latest Technology Stay current on new communication tools and technology advances. Technology skills make you appear savvy and contemporary. Social media is here to stay, and in order to participate, you will need to be fluent in this area. A company manager learned through Twitter that one of their employees celebrated her eighth anniversary with the company and remembered to congratulate her. Get comfortable messaging on Facebook and using other messaging and discussion tools such as Flowdock and Slack, texting, and posting on Facebook. Instant message (IM) that youthful coworker in the next cubicle, and text your meeting leader if youll be late. Embrace Change Be continually ready to embrace change so you stay relevant. You are always eager to embrace change and welcome the opportunity to gain new skills. Change means progress for you and your employer. Continuous improvement is important. Dont let your language in your workplace date you, stereotype youor make you seem irrelevant. Lead the change adoption when potential changes affect your workplace, and model early adopter behavior for younger employees. Avoid Dated Language Dont let your language date you. Reminiscing is only interesting and relevant if coworkers were born before that date. Coworkers likely are only interested in information that they can relate to personally. Thats the way weve always done things, as a reason to stay the sam e, is unattractive at any age. Its nice that you have grandchildren. But, your younger colleagues who are parents, get very tired, very quickly, of hearing that youre happy that you can enjoy your grandchildren- but then, they go home. Manage Interpersonal Relationships You own the success of your interpersonal relationships with different generations at work. Successful relationships are largely in your control, as youve had the most experience and success in creating them. Every employee should seek to respect and honor every other employee. Age Doesnt Generate Automatic Respect Your maturity does not earn you automatic respect from younger employees, who relish debating ideas and think that they know a lot. However, they have the most recent, cutting-edge ideas.Just because youve worked longer, you know more and have more experience, does not mean that your way is the best- or even that younger employees will acknowledge that you have an edge at all. Join their debate, swap ideas , and acknowledge that you also can learn from the younger generations at work. This is how you will earn their respect and generate cooperative, supportive interpersonal relationships. Stay Current in Your Industry Stay current in your field. Read, attend conferences, and converse regularly with thought leaders and colleagues. Be the first to introduce a new work process or a forward-thinking idea. Also, dont bring a dated portfolio to an interview, such as work that appeared to be 20 years old on yellowing, aged paper. Also, avoid presenting old ideas or a performance appraisal form with a checklist to grade each worker characteristic, on a scale of 1 to 5, using such words asorganized, reliable, and energetic. Stay at Your Current Job Hold on to the job you have. behauptung tips are relevant for employees at any age, but they are especially important for older workers. You dont want to hit the pavement job searching when you are over 40- the new old- unless you choose to pursue a new opportunity. As an experienced, older employee, you are in the best possible position to put these ideas and strategies to work as you strive to retain your job. Capitalize on Key Advantages You have the experience, deep knowledge, and maturity on which you can capitalize to benefit your employer. You are accountable, responsible, and savvy in ways that younger workers have yet to attain. Take advantage of your strengths and make sure that they are on display for your employer to notice- every day. Consider Changing Careers Find and transition to a new career field. Some of the saddest stories HR veterans receive are from out-of-work administrative assistants and secretaries. That world is over. Those older, usually male bosses have retiredor are retiring. Younger managers cannot imagine writing something and then passing it to an office worker to type. People who worked for years in valued positions find their skills and job duties obsolete. Take a look at your skills and resu me and consider if your skills and career choice are still relevant. You may decide that a transition to a new field of work is in order. A career change could lead you to an exciting and long, happy work life. People who have transitioned from another career into HR, for example, have shared their stories. Embark upon your own career exploration- at any age. Even if you have maintained your relevance in the workplace, you can still redesign your career if that is your goal. Bottom Line Age discrimination is prevalent even in workplaces that commit to non-discriminatory practices. Like other forms of discrimination, it is relevant, prevalent, illegal, subtle, and preventable.

How to Lead in a Meeting When Youre Not the Leader

How to Lead in a Meeting When Youre Not the LeaderHow to Lead in a Meeting When Youre Not the LeaderIf you view meetings as a necessary evil to suffer through, you might be missing out on the ideal setting to showcase your leadership skills.As Luann Pendy, vice president of global quality at Medtronic explains, Meetings are your greatest opportunity to be visible and show your organization what you bring to the table. Pendy should know. She oversees quality operations and is charged with ensuring that medical devices for patients worldwide are of the highest quality and reliability. Meetings are how we get work done, she continues. But shes leid always the one calling the shots. I spend most of my time participating in meetings rather than leading meetings. I make it my objective to be a good meeting participant because then leaders want me to come to their meetings to help them.You see, to be recognized as an up-and-coming leader, youll need to provide evidence that youre capable of delivering much more than your job description asks for. As Pendy puts it, You can use your time in meetings to show your effectiveness, your intelligence, and your leadership skills. Its hard to showcase that potential when youre sitting at a workstation, head down, doing your job.Speaking up and contributing in meetings can be your best opportunity to shift others perception of you from tactician to strategist, from task achiever to change-agent, and from doer to leader. With your teammates, management, and occasionally, key senior leaders in the room, meetings are a tailor-made platform for you to shape how others in your organization perceive you.To take advantage of that opportunity, here are four of Pendys top tips for how to lead in meetings, even when youre not the meeting leader.1. Know Your RolePrior to the meeting, study the agenda and understand your role in the conference. Pendy recommends considering several key questions, like Why were you invited to the meeting? How does the leader want you to participate? What is the purpose of the meeting? What is expected of you? Then, deliver beyond those expectations. Its very important to make sure that you fulfill the role thats expected of you, she adds.For example, are you there to give a status update from your part of the business? Dont just say, Things are going well, when you can bring facts and data to make your point with greater authority. Instead, say, Customer satisfaction is up 3% over last month, and give your analysis of why. Or if youre coming in as an outside expert (e.g., as a marketing specialist attending an engineering meeting), try to bring a unique perspective, such as being the customers champion. If you dont know your role, ask. At the very least, youll earn points for caring.2. Speak UpSeveral years ago, Pendy received feedback that she welches perceived as hard to read and quiet in meetings, and, as a result, people found it difficult to work with her. These comments were eye-o pening for Pendy. Id go the meetings and be very courteous and respectful, Pendy explains. I was listening to what everyone was saying, processing it, and learning, she said. By doing that, however, some co-workers felt that she wasnt engaged or interested in what was going on. So I changed, she recounts. She started speaking up and immediately started receiving more positive feedback. Employees said, Thanks for supporting me. My peers said, Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your ideas. And the management said, Thanks for leading. Rather than wait for permission or an invitation to speak up, come prepared with the expectation that you will contribute. Brainstorm at least three talking points in advance, and challenge yourself to bring up each point during the meeting. It becomes harder to break into the conversation as a meeting progresses, so speak up early on to establish your voice in the room.And if you dont have suggestions that add value to the conversation? Speaking up to advocate for a co-workers point of view or asking a well thought-out question can go just as far.3. Find Meeting MentorsPendy suggests finding a role model who navigates meetings well. Find someone within your organization who is very savvy with corporate etiquette and successful at leading and participating in meetings. Observe them to see how their behavior contributes to their success, she offers. Youll learn a lot about your organizations culture and etiquette.For example, figure out how many questions and comments are considered appropriate, and whats considered over the top. In some corporate cultures, questions are better received outside of the meeting, and if youre working against that etiquette, youll find it difficult to succeed. Or, for example, lets say you see a more efficient way for a project timeline to be structured. It helps to know if meeting etiquette dictates that the change be made by group consensus then and there, or if you probably shouldnt take up meeting time deliberating an issue that could be quickly handled in a private conversation. By paying close attention to the unwritten and unspoken rules of meeting etiquette, you can lead effectively while avoiding missteps that could damage your reputation.4. Be PresentIf you were included on the meeting invite, youre expected to be there to contribute. An important part of that is to sit at the table. Oftentimes, I see junior employees come into a room where theres a big, long conference table and try to find the chair in the corner away from the table, said Pendy. That doesnt come across as being positive, confident, engaged, and enthused. The way to get a seat at the table is to show up on time or early so theres an open seat.According to Pendy, your posture is important, too. Put your elbows on the table- something your mother taught you never ever to do at dinner, she recommends. Surprised? When youre in a business meeting, if youre leaning forward and youre putting your elbows on th e table, it tells the group youre engaged, interested, and have something to contribute.Harvard geschftsleben School associate professor Amy Cuddys TED Talk has gathered over 16 million views, popularizing the power pose- the Wonder Woman stance that boosts self-confidence while increasing others perception of your authority. According to Cuddy, stand up to speak if possible, with feet comfortably apart, shoulders back, chin up, and expansive arms, so that your body language adds credibility to your message. It works when seated, too sitting up straight with arms out increases the space you take up, which is a demonstration of power. Finally, dont leave the meeting without volunteering to lead something or take on an action item. Youll guarantee yourself a spot on the agenda in the next meeting.Photo of meeting courtesy of Shutterstock.